


Speed Dating

by velocitygrass



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Speed Dating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-19
Updated: 2013-08-19
Packaged: 2017-12-24 01:18:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/933423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velocitygrass/pseuds/velocitygrass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney goes speed dating. Things don't go well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Speed Dating

**Author's Note:**

> Written for McSheplets challenge #156: Date

Oh, great. Of all the guys in the speed dating event, _he_ has to sit next to a tall-dark-and-handsome type. If Rodney is not mistaken the casual clothes that he wears are of the same kind one of his previous girlfriends wanted him to dress in: Far too expensive for what they actually look like. So he is probably rich too. Rodney sighs.

He squeezes in on the bench behind the table next to the guy. The guy's name tag reads _John,_ and he gives Rodney a smirky smile. So he's charming too. Rodney's beginning to think this was a bad idea. Meeting two dozen women at once seemed like an efficient way to find new dating material, but it's also an efficient way to be rejected again and again and again. Sitting next to Mr. Smirky-Smile is not making it easier to tip things in his favor.

Hopefully, the women will see further than the good looks of the guy next to him. Also, the rotation is so that Rodney will be able to talk to them before they get to John, so he'll be able to impress them with his intellect first.

If they are in to that. The first woman is an artist. Performance art. Rodney doesn't ask any further. He's distracted by a single purple strain of her hair. He doesn't ask about that either. And he doesn't bother telling her more about his job. Who knew five minutes could be so long?

Next to him, John is chatting away with his date of the round, completely relaxed and friendly. The woman is practically glowing. His own date politely asks if he originated from the region. Rodney tells her about Canada and is able to kill the rest of the five minutes ranting about what's worse living here in the US.

When the time is up, his date practically jumps out of the chair and sits opposite of John, smiling.

~~

It's a complete disaster.

He has no idea why he thought that meeting lots of new people would somehow improve his chances of meeting someone interesting. After all most people are idiots.

Like asking about his favorite color. You have five minutes to get to know someone and ask about the favorite color? Who even has a favorite color?!

The guy next to him does, of course.

Rodney can't help listening in on his conversations. John is a pilot—so very fitting. When he gets the favorite color question, he says, "It might sound strange, but I'm partial to purple. A soft shade of purple. Lilac." Then he smiles self-consciously. But of course the woman gives him an adoring look. Rodney only thinks, _What the hell?_

It doesn't help that Rodney's communication style is not to everyone's taste. When one woman tells him she's a teacher, he can't help asking, "So are you teaching kids or are you teaching something useful." Her face falls, but next to him John snorts. "I mean a real subject," Rodney tries to qualify.

"As opposed to something fake like reading, writing, and counting?" she asks.

"I guess someone has to do it," he says, smiling awkwardly.

Things go down hill from there. Rodney's glad when those five minutes are over.

The woman moves on to the seat opposite John, and when they start talking, Rodney can't help overhearing that John tells her he's a teacher too.

"You said you were a pilot," Rodney interrupts them.

"I am both," John says. "I'm a flight instructor. Do you want to learn how to fly?" He gives Rodney one of his smirky smiles.

Rodney huffs and turns back to his date. What had she asked him again?

~~

Towards the end, Rodney has mentally given up. He's tried talking about his job, but for some reason the women haven't seemed particularly interested, except the one that was also a scientist, but so very, very wrong that they've fought for the whole five minutes. At least John has been amused by that.

He seems amused a lot by Rodney. Every now and then he'll look over to Rodney and give him that smirky smile. Rodney has noticed that it's different than the more neutral friendly smile that he gives the women. It irritates him.

His current date talks about her favorite past time, which is shopping. Rodney has to admit she's very pretty and well-dressed, but he has a hard time listening to her. When she asks about his favorite color, he randomly picks blue. It's just not worth trying to explain what a waste having a favorite color is.

The women change seats one more time. Rodney is glad it will be over soon. His last date doesn't seem very interested in him. In fact, she gives John a flirty smile as she sits down. Rodney rolls his eyes.

The woman starts talking about what she does, but it's obvious she's just killing time and being polite, so Rodney listens to John's conversation with the fashionista instead. When she asks about John's favorite color, John says, "Blue."

"No, it's not. You told the other woman it was purple. No, not even purple. _Lilac_ ," Rodney tells him.

"Your eyes changed my mind," John says with his smirky smile. Or is it flirty?

Rodney blinks. He has no idea what to say to that.

"Well, he's right. Your eyes are certainly your best feature," the fashionista says.

"I'd like to think that my brain is," Rodney says without thinking.

"I don't know," John says. "He has a pretty nice ass as well." And that smile is definitely flirty.

Both the fashionista and his own date lean to look around the table at his ass. Rodney frowns. This is getting down-right weird.

And it's all John's fault. John, whose smile has softened. Rodney has no idea what to make of him.

The fashionista turns back to John and compliments him on his outfit, talking about brands Rodney has never heard of. His own date also turns back to him and gives him an awkward smile. "It's almost over."

Rodney can only nod.

~~

They created an app for the matching. So after the dates everyone stands around like an idiot, typing into their smart phone. Rodney doesn't bother. There wasn't anyone he wants to see again. But he can't help being curious if there were any women who picked him, so he sits down away from where most people gathered, gets out his laptop and sees if he can hack into the app.

Rodney gives them props for not actually storing the phone numbers and full names in an easily accessible way, but he still manages to get a list of IDs who picked him. Only two people. Not that he expected anything else, really. They probably all picked John.

He can't help his curiosity and checks, and of course he's right. Over half of the women would like to see John again. Why did he even bother coming here? He wonders how many women John wants to see again. Oh, only one. Now Rodney finds himself curious. He's about to match the ID with a name, when suddenly John appears next to where he sits.

"Some people need to rush out to get their nicotine hit, and you need to get back to work, huh?" he says with a fond smile.

Rodney feels caught, and it obviously shows because John frowns and asks, "What are you doing? Wait, are you hacking into the app?"

"Uhm," Rodney says. "No, I'm working," he tries to lie.

"That's why your phone is connected to your laptop," John says. "So what are you checking? I hope it's not trying to get the phone number of your favorite even though she didn't pick you. That would be kind of creepy, and also stupid, which we all know you're not."

"They don't actually store the numbers here. But I can look at the matches. No real harm in that, right? I wasn't checking who picked me anyway. I'm not interested in any of them," Rodney says.

"Then?" John asks.

Rodney flushes. "I was...possibly checking who you picked. Just out of curiosity."

"It recorded my pick?" John asks.

"Of course. Why wouldn't it—" Rodney turns back to the screen and scrolls to match the ID John has picked to a first name. _Rodney._ His face snaps to John, who is flushing now.

"Wasn't sure it would do a check first," John says, smiling his flirty, smirky smile.

"Apparently not," Rodney says. "Of all the people..." He gives John a smug smile.

"Don't let it get to your head. I was only here because a friend asked me to pitch in after a guy had to leave last minute," John says.

"You're not even into women?" Rodney asks, letting a chuckle escape.

"Shh," John says, looking around to see if anyone is close enough to overhear them.

Rodney can only shake his head as he smiles.

"It was nice meeting you, Rodney," John says and turns.

"Hey, wait!" Rodney says. John turns back. "Maybe we could..." Rodney trails off.

"You've got my number," John says, lifting his smart phone. "If you want it." Then he gives Rodney one of his smirky smiles and leaves.

Rodney looks after him. Then he picks up his phone and quickly starts typing. Apparently speed dating isn't so bad after all.


End file.
